<sh>Man Charged in Annandale Murder
<bt>Fairfax County Police charged Arnoldo Aleman, 41, of Arlington with the murder of an Annandale-area woman.
On Monday, Sept. 8, about 11 p.m., a 40-year-old woman was getting out of a vehicle in the 7800 block of Patriot Drive when Aleman approached her. The two exchanged words, and Aleman allegedly pulled a gun and shot the woman in the upper body. The victim, who was later identified as Maria Mercedes Morales-Vanegas of Patriot Drive, was pronounced dead at the scene. With the assistance of Arlington County Police and the U.S. Marshals Service, Fairfax County police arrested Aleman on the morning of Sept. 10.
<sh>Man Robs Franconia Giant Store
<bt>Fairfax County Police reported that on Sept. 9, around 4:30 p.m., a man walked up to a Chevy Chase Bank teller in the Giant Food Store, at 5870 Kingstowne Blvd. in the Franconia area, and demanded money. He then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money. The man was described as black, approximately 40, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, unshaven, wearing dark sunglasses and a baseball cap. Anyone with information is asked to call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131 or Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 703-691-8888.
<sh>Rabies Alert in Burke
<bt>Fairfax County Health Department reported that a raccoon that had fought a Burke dog had tested positive for rabies. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, around 4:30 p.m., a 54-year-old Burke-area woman found her dog Sugar, an American bulldog, fighting with a raccoon in the 5500 block of Blake House Court in Burke. The raccoon died at the scene and was taken to the Health Department, where the carcass tested positive for the rabies virus.
<sh>Warner, Gingrich to Speak at GMU
<bt>The P3 Conference will bring together leaders from the public, private and philanthropic sectors as a way to develop innovative and creative solutions to the region's social and economic issues. The one-day summit will take place Tuesday, Oct. 14, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Performing Arts Center at George Mason University. Confirmed speakers include Gov. Mark Warner; former House speaker Newt Gingrich; GMU president Alan Merten; AOL vice chairman Ted Leonsis; Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; USA Freedom Corps director and assistant to the president John Bridgeland; Timberland Corp. chief executive officer Jeff Swartz; and Fannie Mae Foundation senior vice president Glen Howard. For more information about the conference, contact Michal McElwain, 703-993-1577.
<sh>Auction to Benefit NVTC
<bt>Parents and associates of the Northern Virginia Training Center (NVTC) are hosting an auction to raise money to purchase items to help persons with severe mental retardation who live at the facility. The auction will take place Sept. 20 at the NVTC gymnasium, 9901 Braddock Road, Fairfax.
Items will be available for viewing beginning at 7 a.m., when the silent auction begins. The live auction starts at 10 a.m. Over 300 items will be up for auction, including pieces of artwork, airline tickets, 12 tickets to Disney World, gas grills and bicycles. For a more complete list of items to be auctioned, visit www.nvtc.state.va.us/auction. No admission or buyer premium will be charged. For more information, call 703-726-0965 or 703-361-5664.